iCritique is a web application (developed by Steve O'Hear) that allows for the creation of an online community of viewers. Put simply, its an online tool that streamlines the process of publishing and viewing Digital Video work on the Internet, and that easily enables online discussions of the work published.

- A teacher or media technician uploads finished student work and enters additional information into the iCritique database; such as the name of the author, a short description and category

- Once uploaded, the work becomes available via iCritiques media browser, from which registered users can choose to view the work, start a new discussion topic or contribute to an existing discussion.

- Topics of particular interest can then be added to a users watch list so that they will be informed by email next time someone contributes to that discussion.

- Designated users can be given moderator status, whereby they can edit or delete inappropriate topics and comments.

A Relational Approach

At the heart of iCritique is the applications ability to centrally organise and categorise media into a database, and automatically create asynchronous discussion areas that are directly linked to individual media assets. This relational approach helps to focus dialogue between users and encourage discussions that do not stray off topic.

A Learning Community

iCritique uses a community model in the way it manages users: Before interacting with iCritique, users are asked to sign up by creating an account, which involves choosing a username, optionally including a brief passage about themselves, and a homepage address. This approach ensures that users build up a history of contributions to iCritique discussions, and over time, create a virtual identity within this bounded community.

To further add to this sense of community, iCritique includes a general discussion area where users can discuss non-media specific topics and share technical support. In addition, the iCritique administrator has the option of making community announcements via a central mailing list of all members.